Adil Najam
News reports suggest that the MQM (now the Muttihada Quami Movement) has held large simultaneous rallies in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan with its leader in “voluntary” exile Altaf Hussain addressing the rallies over the phone.
It would be fair to say that the MQM has been a largely Karachi-based but increasingly urban-Sindh phenomenon wielding immense political influence in those areas and that most people in the Punjab have looked at the party, its tactics and its leadership with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The party’s leader, Altaf Hussain, who is now a British citizen and has lived in voluntary exile in London for over 18 years still seems to hold total control over the party and his phenomenon is even less comprehensible to many outside of the MQM’s traditional stronghold areas.
The MQM has, in fact, been trying to expand its areas of influence, including in the Punjab. First outside of Karachi and Hyderabad to the rest of urban Sindh, then into rural Sindh, and more recently into the rest of the country. The push into Punjab seems to be a concerted one and is synchornized and planned. It remains to be seen what, if anything, will come out of this. But given the political and organizational resources the MQM brings with it, this is clearly a challenge to Punjab’s political status quo that they will not be taking lightly.
I myself am not at all sure what this means. Is the MQM truly out on a national expansion or whether this is a move geared more towards consolidating their position in Sindh rather than actually expanding into the Punjab? What sort of political reception will they get in the Punjab, and from whom? What are they reading in the political tea leaves about the changing fortunes of the established parties in the Punjab – the PPP and PMLs – and also about the political frustrations of the general electorate? How will the other players respond to this move?
Like much that comes out of the MQM, there seems to be a thought-out plan behind this move, but it is not yet clear what it is.
I am not a Mohajir, nor am I a regular MQM supporter, but this post was music to my ears. Whenever a regional party expands beyond its home region, it is a positive sign of national cohesion and integration. We don’t want political parties whose constituencies come from only one population segment or one geographical area, we would like national parties to emerge that draw their strength from all regions and population groups — that is what ruling in the common interest means after all. At the moment, the PPP’s base is in Sindh, the PML-N’s base is in Punjab, MQM’s is in Karachi, and ANP in Khyber-Pakhtoonwa — transforming these regional parties into national ones is a first step to building a truly national electoral democracy with political parties as the lynchpin of a system that turns amorphous citizen opinion into state policies. One thing I do like about the MQM is their middle class support base — lift these people up and they’ll lift the entire country up — the middle class, unlike the very poor or very rich, are more likely to live off their skills and they do well when society’s modernize, markets grow, and education becomes widespread — as such, they are the agents of change and modernization which is exactly what Pakistan should want.
This is anotehr Altaf Bhai topi drama. Not a serious move.
More comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– “just visit karachi and u’ll see the (ur said) terrorist tactics from the airport only ….. and do comment also after that ……….”
– “if 60 yrs of devlpmnt is equal to last 4 yrs of MQM rule in khi then v spprt this tactics only !!!!!”
– “nothing happened, MQM never find support from any other area of Pakistan”
– “Dude What happened on 12 May 2007 in Karachi.SAAB kay samnay Hai.MQM is an Anti-Pakistan Party. If they want to prove themselves innocent why do not they call ALTAF bhai to Pakistan and then we will see who is right or Wrong.MQM is being funded by WEST and the proof of this is the British Passport given to ALTAF Bhai at a short notice.Pakistan ko ALTAF bhai jaisa KHUSSRA nahin CHAHEY. Aur rahi baat MARDAY LAHORE Shahbaz kee, tau woh to Ab KHUSRAAEY LAHORE hee reh gia hai. Aur ZARDARI kay din BHI ginnay Chunnay hain bhai…Woh bhi jald apni BB kay sath milnay wala hai…Will keep you posted….”
– “hazaroun logoun ki qatil, aik coward leader, with the statement of their leader in india while addressing ‘the creation of Pakistan was the greatest blunder in the history of mankind’, kia aik party jiska leader ye kahay mohibbe watan ho skti hai? Kia wo party jo qatal o garat gari mein maharat rakhti ho mohibbe watan ho skti hai? I can never forget the martyrdom of my maternal uncle by the savage MQM people. To hell with Mqm”
– “There are always two sides to every story. I remember once reading about the killings many years ago of their activists by Gen Babar. It seems though that the evidence from Karachi, under an MQM Nizam is pretty positive. Anyway, I don’t think there is much to write home about in Pakistan politics which ever political party you look at. “
This is little more than a joke; I’m glad they are focusing their efforts out of Sindh for the first time.
MQM has been steadily losing support for a number of reasons.
First, each and every citizen of Karachi knows that they run the most widespread crime syndicate which does everything from snatching cell-phones to burning buildings to committing brutal murders. These crimes used to be targeted, but in the past few years they have affected all segments of society, and hence there is almost unified support against them.
Second, as the citizens of Karachi become more educated, and move into the middle class, they are looking for alternatives, something quite different from the status quo. The MQM’s rallying cry of ethnicity no longer holds the sway in an increasingly integrated populace.
Third, any support the MQM has, is definitively limited to the Urdu-speaking community. As far as I’m concerned, they have a snow-ball’s chance in hell of convincing others to support them. MQM used to be the only game (read gang of dangerous thugs) in town for a long time, but over the past few years there has emerged a very significant Pathan political, and also a Sunni Tehreek base both of which are very often at odds with the MQM.
Finally, the Punjab is absolutely littered with political groups and parties. They practically have PML (A-Z), rehashed in every flavor: feudalistic, populist, urban, etc etc.
In summary, the MQM has no chance of succeeding in the Punjab, and they know it. It’s not entirely clear to me what they hope to accomplish by this charade.
Some comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– “MQM is not a political party they r black mailers n terrorists if they come n punjab they ll destroy peace so ban them n every part of Pakistan”
– “well, i hav heard abt the tyranny and brutality of MQM, but still inspite of all spulative stories, there are sum facts that everyone hav to admit, that they hav strong political hold over the whole karachi and hyderabad , the most urbanized and educated centres of sindh. and one man that change my perception abt MQM is Mustafa Kamal, just hav a glance at the leadership of that single person, he hav set an example, of how the elected representatvs should carry out their duties.and even in punjab, if they are having their people lik mustafa kamal, they could succed further.”
– “NO POLITICAL PARTY is going to improve the situation as they have never done tht ..also i knw how good PML n PPP are ..”
– “i dont think they’ll succeed in punjab…..they cant use their terrorist tactics of Karachi in Punjab”
– “Well,,,,MQM is better than all parties in Pakistan,,,at least all leaders r educated and belong to middle class family and a middle class man can understand the problems of common man,,,,”
– “MQM cant even fetch 1000 votes any where in punjab.”
– “@above lol”
– “u call those rallies large???? good joke buddy keep up the homour”
– “Weclome MQM in Punjab……hope MQM will bring out hundresds of Mustafa kamal for Punjab from within punjab”
– “Bhaata Khori, Qattal, Daaka, Mobile Phone Snatching, target Killing, AgHwa baray Tawaan aur BOHAT KUCH LA RAHA AAP KA BHAI ALTAAF HUSSAIN KARACHI WAALEY”
– “bOSS U CAN NOT BLAME ANY ONE IF U DNT HAVE A PROVE C THE KARACHI ITE ALL DONE bY mUTAHIDA…….hAUR JAGA ACCHE LOGO K SATH BUREE LOG BHI HOTE HEIN AND bTW AAP K SHRIEF BRADRN NE KITNE SHARAFT DEKHYAEE HEE YA AAP K PRESIDENT SAHAB NE KIA DIYAA SO GIVE THW CHANCE TO mqm AND SEE SIMPLE”
– “AND THATS noT PUNJAB AND NOT siNDH TAHTS ABOUT PAKISTAN AGER PAKISTAN HE TO YEAH SUB HE WARNA KCH NHIN HE HEE NA PUNJAB NA SINDH NA SARHAD (KHYBER PAKTON KAHNA)..NA BALOCHISTAN…”
– “Stay whr u r.. U wna expand, move south..”